Thursday, December 17, 2009

Cookbook Week: Pierogi with Fried Onions

The Chef: Sara

The Menu: A perfect plate of pert pierogi! These cute little dumplings were stuffed with mashed potatoes and fried onions, and they were just about as tasty as can be. Sara's spinach side salad was a stupendous supplement to the savory main.

The Goods: Whoa! Did you know that the holidays are heavily breathing their candy-cane breath down our necks? Yeah, they are. What with all the frenzied gift purchasing, it's nice to be able to give something away for free every day. Here at the VNHQ, we've so far had a bunch of great lunches from 1,000 Vegan Recipes and today's was no exception. Congratulations to yesterday's giveaway winner, Josiane! Josiane, send us an email, and we'll send your copy of the book right out.

Now, today we had the pleasure of dining with Ms. Laura Beck. This lovely lady just returned from a whirlwind trip to NYC and Chicago, and still found time to spoil us with treats. She brought a box of S'mores Bars by Sweet Fritsy, and, um, wow. Incredible. Gooey marshmallow layer on rich fudge layer, topped with graham cracker crumbs and chocolate chips. We are in love. Here's our new sweetie:Now that you've met our latest obsession, for today's copy of 1,000 Vegan Recipes, tell us in the comments: What are you totally in love with right now?

Right now I'm totally in love with Pangea's caramels. I buy them with the intention of attempting to create a vegan version of the Whatchamacallit candy bar, but then I eat them all plain because they are so good. They taste like a softer, butterscotch hybrid caramel: totally delicious. Thanks for asking!

Right now, I'm in love with the idea that a copy of the cookbook containing the recipe for those yummy-looking pierogi is coming my way! Yay! Thank you so much! Clearly, the holidays are off to a great start! :)

Ajii Panca and Ajii Amarillo. These are tasty South American pepper pastes that I was introduced to while testing for Terry Hope Romero's upcoming Viva Vegan - I use them in everything from Salad Dressings to hot sauces to stir fries!!

I am OBSESSED with squash right now, in any form! I even eat it for breakfast, as what I like to call Squash Porridge: puree squash with coconut oil, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt, heat up in a pot, and top with almond butter and maple syrup. Mmmmm....Or soup (onion, garlic, pumpkin pie spice, and asqueeze of lime juice). Or roasted with sage, or sauteed with apples, or, or, or...;)